Locking lever release for strap connector

ABSTRACT

On strap connectors wherein the prongs of a male member are inserted into pockets of the female member and are held in place by a rocking shaft in notches in the prongs, which rocking shaft is cut away so that it can be turned out of said notches into an out of the way position for releasing the prongs, and wherein a manipulating lever is provided for rocking said shaft into and out of the notches of said prongs, and wherein also gas pressure actuated means are provided for rocking the shaft into prong releasing position, and wherein a locking lever is provided to prevent the manipulation of said manipulating lever, a gas actuated plunger having a projection bearing against said locking lever and actuated simultaneously with the gas actuated rocking of said shaft, for pushing the locking lever into releasing position.

[ Oct. 23, 1973 LOCKING LEVER RELEASE-FOR STRAP CONNECTOR [75] Inventor:John A. Gaylord, Greenbrae,

Canada H. Koch & Sons, Inc., a division of Global Systems, Marin County,Calif.

[22] Filed: Mar. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 234,735

[73] Assignee:

[52] U.S. Cl 24/230 A, 244/151 A, 294/83 A [51] Int. Cl A44b 19/00 [58]Field of Search 294/83 A, 83 AB,

294/83 AA, 83 AE; 24/241 SB, 201 D, 230

A, 230 AP, 230 AT, 230 AV; 244/151 A Primary ExaminerDonald A. GriffinAtt0rneyGeorge B. White [57] ABSTRACT On strap connectors wherein theprongs of a male member are inserted into pockets of the female memberand are held in place by a rocking shaft in notches in the prongs, whichrocking shaft is cut away so that it can be turned out of said notchesinto an out of the way position for releasing the prongs, and wherein amanipulating lever is provided for rocking said shaft into and out ofthe notches of said prongs, and wherein also gas pressure actuated meansare pro vided for rocking the shaft into prong releasing position, andwherein a locking lever is provided to prevent the manipulation of saidmanipulating lever, a gas actuated plunger having a projection bearingagainst said locking lever and actuated simultaneously with the gasactuated rocking of said shaft, for pushing the locking lever intoreleasing position.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUBT23 m 8786811 SHEET 20F 2 I r y vLOCKING LEVER RELEASE FOR STRAP CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ias to permit the rocking of the rocking shaft by gas pressure operatedmeans, the primary feature of the herein invention is the provision ofan auxiliary gas pressure operated means for pushing the locking leverinto releasing position whenever pressure medium is conveyed to the gaspressure actuated shaft rocking means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partly sectional frontview of the strap connector. 7

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the parts in connectedposition.

FIG. 3 is a partly cross-sectional view showing parts in releasedposition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The essential elements of a female member of astrap connector include a rocking shaft 1 rockable in a transverse hole2 in the body 3 of the female member so that the journal hole 2intersects pockets 4 for male prongs 5 inserted at right angles to thejournal hole 2. The male prongs 5 have notches 6 which are located inregistrywith the rocking shaft 1 when the shoulder 7 of the male strapconnector 8 abuts the female body 3. The rocking shaft 1 has diametricrecesses 9 in registry with the pockets 4 so that when the rocking shaft1 is rocked in the journal 2 from an initial position to a releasingposition, the rocking shaft is withdrawn from the notches 6 so that therecessed portions 9 permit the withdrawal of the male prongs 5.

' A manipulating lever 10 is in the form of a yoke as described in saidpatents, engaging the ends of the rocking shaft 1 for rocking said shaft1, which yoke lever 10 is normally urged by springs 11 into lockingposition. A locking lever 12 pivoted on a pivot pin 13 in the body 3 isalso spring biased toward the body 3 and extends over the manipulatingyoke lever 10 to prevent the manipulation or movement of the latter.

Gas pressure actuated releasing device is provided for rocking therocking shaft 1 into prong releasing position. In the presentillustration the gas pressure actuated releasing device includes aplurality of balls 14 bearing upon one another in a tube 15 and againsta finger 16 extended from the rocking shaft 1 through an elongated slot17 in the adjacent portion of the tube 15. A plunger stem 18 isreciprocable in the upper end of the tube 15 and it has a plunger 19 onits end farthest from the balls 14, which plunger 19 reciprocates in acylinder 20 and is normally urged by a coil spring 21 away from the tube15. A suitable gas intake 22 connected to a supply of pressure mediumadmits such pressure medium to push the plunger 19 toward the tube,thereby to push the plunger stem 18 against the balls 14, which in turnexert pressure on the finger 16 for rocking the shaft 1 into prongreleasing position.

The auxiliary releasing mechanism includes a cylinder 25 in the body 3above the rocking shaft 1. An end of the cylinder 25 is adjacent to thelocking lever 12 and it has a hole 26 through which extends a stem 27 tobear against the adjacent portion of the locking lever 12. On the innerend of the stem 27 is a suitable plunger 28 which works in the cylinder.At the end of the cylinder 25 adjacent the plunger 28 is an inlet 29connected by a tube 30 to the principal intake 22.

Whenever a pressure medium, such as gas under pressure, is introduced tothe intake 22 for rocking the shaft 1, gas also rushes through theauxiliary tube 30 and pushes the auxiliary plunger 28 so as to push theauxiliary stem 27 out through the hole 26 against the locking lever 12thereby to push the locking lever 12 out of engagement from themanipulating yoke lever 10 and thereby free the same to permit therocking of the rocking shaft 1 by the gas pressure actuated means.

I claim:

1. In a strap connector having a female member with a transverse hole inwhich a rocking shaft is rockable into and out of releasing positionrelatively to male prongs of a male member inserted into said femalemember so as to intersect said hole, said rocking shaft being adapted torelease said prongs when rocked from an initial locking position into areleasing position, and having a manipulating lever for manually rockingsaid rocking shaft and having a locking lever to lock said manipulatinglever in prong locking position, a device actuated by a pressure mediumfor rocking said shaft into releasing position, and means to conductsaid pressure medium to said device,

the improvement of an anxiliary pressure actuated device for moving saidlocking lever into releasing position comprising,

an element in said female body related to said locking lever and beingmovable to shift said locking lever from locking position into releasingposition,

and means actuated by the same pressure medium which actuates saidpressure actuated shaft rocking means to move said movable member forshifting said locking member into releasing position substantiallysimultaneously with the pressure actuated rocking of said rocking shaftinto prong releasing position.

2. The device specified in claim 1, and

said movable member being a reciprocating element,

and said gas actuated auxiliary means being a plunger to'reciprocatesaid movable element.

3. The device specified in claim 1, and

said movable member being a plunger stern bearing against said lockinglever in locking position,

said auxiliary pressure medium actuated device including a plunger onsaid stem reciprocable in a cylinder chamber in said female member,

an intake in the end of said cylindrical chamber adjacent said plunger,,and means to connect said intake with the pressure medium supply tosaid pressure medium actuated shaft rocking device.

1. In a strap connector having a female member with a transverse hole inwhich a rocking shaft is rockable into and out of releasing positionrelatively to male prongs of a male member inserted into said femalemember so as to intersect said hole, said rocking shaft being adapted torelease said prongs when rocked from an initial locking position into areleasing position, and having a manipulating lever for manually rockingsaid rocking shaft and having a locking lever to lock said manipulatinglever in prong locking position, a device actuated by a pressure mediumfor rocking said shaft into releasing position, and means to conductsaid pressure medium to said device, the improvement of an anxiliarypressure actuated device for moving said locking lever into releasingposition comprising, an element in said female body related to saidlocking lever and being movable to shift said locking lever from lockingposition into releasing position, and means actuated by the samepressure medium which actuates said pressure actuated shaft rockingmeans to move said movable member for shifting said locking member intoreleasing position substantially simultaneously with the pressureactuated rocking of said rocking shaft into prong releasing position. 2.The device specified in claim 1, and said movable member being areciprocating element, and said gas actuated auxiliary means being aplunger to reciprocate said movable element.
 3. The device specified inclaim 1, and said movable member being a plunger stem bearing againstsaid locking lever in locking position, said auxiliary pressure mediumactuated device including a plunger on said stem reciprocable in acylinder chamber in said female member, an intake in the end of saidcylindrical chamber adjacent said plunger, and means to connect saidintake with the pressure medium supply to said pressure medium actuatedshaft rocking device.